Photographic camera



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June 29, W43, L.. BER-PELE Y PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA Filed Deo. l, 1959 Paiente'd June 29,

UNITED PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA Ludwig Bertele, Dresden, Germany; vested in the Alien Property Custodi Application December 1, 1939, Serial No. 307,182 In Germany October 6, 1938 This invention relates to improvements in pho- V tographic cameras.

It is particularly directed to improvements in cameras of the reflex type. In cameras .of this type, a picture is projected upon a mirror in the interior of the camera, and prior to the exn posure the operator views the picture presented by the mirror upon a screen of ground glass' which is mounted usually in the top wall of the camera. For making the exposure, the mirror is, moved out of the way, permitting the lens to project the picture upon the 'carrier of sensitized material positioned in the camera.

Similar devices also have been used for finder f construction of photographic cameras, and where in the following specification ,and claims a. reference is made to finders, it. is to be understood that the term implies the finderY construction proper as well as the construction of a camera with a reflecting mirrortemporarily interposed between the lens and the vsensitized material.

The picture presented by thegmirror on the ground glass screen usually is observed from the top, so that the nder can best be utilized when the structure is held approximately at Waist level.

Attempts have been made heretofore to convert waist level finders of this type into eye level finders. pose disposed above the ground glass screen in opposition to each other and in acute anglerelation to each other with one of the reflectors in position to receive the picture of the screen to reflect this picture into the companion reflector which reflected it horizontally outwardly into the eye of the observer.

The eye of the observer in finders of this type is at considerable distance from the glass screen. Owing to this distance it is not feasible to place in front ofthe eye a magnifying lens of short focal length. This lens cannot be positioned so close to the screen tol permit the picture to be viewed therethrough.

In order to reduce the effective distance between the eye and the ground glass screen, it had also been suggested to interpose a glass prism or the like between the magnifying lens and the glassscreen. This arrangement has the disadvantage of increasing the weight and of permitl` ting direct observation of the screen picture solely after the prism had been removed.

A pair of reflectors was for this pur,-y

a ycamera or finder of this type in which the picture projectedby the mirror and directed by the reectors into the eye oi' the observer is a picture which is of uniform luminosity.

In order to attain these improvements, it is an object of the. invention to provide a reflector system of this character having at least one concave reflector whereby the picture in the lens of the camera is reproducedr and whereby any reversion of this picture may eventually be overcome by additional lenses, projecting an upright and laterally non-inversed picture into the eye of the observer.

Another object of the invention is to provide reflectors in such opposition and acute angle relation to each othery that disturbing astigmatic aberrations are avoided. The invention, employing one or more concave reflectors for the observation of the picture projected onto the ground glass screen by the mirror of the nder, also has the object of utilizing the concave reflectors for reproducing the picture projected from the lens of the nder in a better Way than this picture ywould be observable `through an ordinary magnifying glass or lens of short focal length.

It is well known that the dispersion of the light vthrough a ground glass screen is a disper- The main portion of the light passes straight through'the ground glassy screen. The dispersion of the ground glass will be reduced in proportion to the fineness of the grainvonthe ground surface. In modern miniature cameras the user observes the picture of the finder in greatly magnified condition. The enlargement of the picture would also cause the grain o f the ground glass to appear greatly magnified and it is for this reason that the screen The present invention'has the object of improving reflex cameras or finders of this type by permitting the picture of the ground glass screen to be observed at eye level.

Anothervobject of the .invention is to provide must be'of very fine grain. Where it is desired to obtain a picture of uniform luminosity-even in the very corners-the dispersing action of the ground glass screen may be neglected as a disturbina factor.

In order to produce theA same enlargement of the picture in the two principal meridians of the reectors and in order to eliminate astigmatic defects which might be' present, the invention also has the object of providing one or bother the concave renectors with a reiiecting surface which is not a true rotary surface produced by the rotation of a generatrix about a fixed axis. The concave reflecting surface is then preferably a surface yof, torio concavity having dilerent curvatures in the two main sections. By suitably selecting the curvatures in these main secshown.

When in the system of the present invention,

the reflectors are formed as a plane and a concave reflector. it will be seen that the enlargement of different portions of the picture is not a uniform one over the entire area of the picture. Depending upon the greater or smaller distance of that portion of the concave mirror which is effective for the reflection from that portion of the image which is to be viewed, the portion of the picture will appear more magniiled or less. The impression of the entire picture presented by the reflector is that of a distorted picture on an area of approximate trapezoidal formation. This disturbing condition is avoided or at least considerably relieved by using two concave reflectors instead of a plane reector and a companion concave reflector. Upon using a pair of concave reflectors, the distorting qualities in the second reflector will be inversely effective as compared with those of the rst reflector. I 'he result of these two similar and inverse distortions is then a picture which practically is without distortion, but enlarged.

Two embodiments are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically a pair of reflectors associated with a ground glass screen, one reflector being plane while the other one is concave.

Fig. 2 shows in section diagrammatically an embodiment with two concave reflectors associated with a camera.

The camera casing I, Fig. 2. is provided with a lens 2 and contains a mirror 3. As in other reflex` cameras the mirror normally reflecting the picture projected onto it by the lens may rapidly be swung out of the way to permit the light to act on the nlm l. A shutter 5 diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 2 also may be movedA with the mirror to operative (exposure) or inoperative position. The mirrorl 3 in operative (finder) position reflects the picture onto the lower ground face of a ground glass screen 8 mounted in the top wall oi' the casing. This screen is here shown in the form of a lens todisplay the picture in magnied condition when viewed from the top. A large portion of the light reflected by the mirror passes-with very little dispersion-straight through the ground glass screen 6.

In Fig. 1. the casing, mirror and lens are not It is solely the combination of the reilectors and screen which are of interest. This combination permits the picture to be'observed by viewing it in a direction parallel to the axis of the lens, asin eye level ilnders.

The ground glass screen 1, Fig. 1, may receive the picture projected from the plane mirror 3, Fig. 2. The plane reflector 8 is located spaced from the surface of the' glass screen l in such angular position that it receives that picture which passes straight through the ground glass screen 1.' In opposition to the plane reflector I and at acute angle relation thereto, there is shown a concave reector 9 having a relatively strong curvature, the radius of curvature being four to ve times the distance between the end points of the picture projected onto the screen 1. The rays of light reected from the plane reector 8 are again reected by the concave reflecting surface 9, the reflected picture appearing enlarged on this reflecting surface 9. Upon prop erly selecting the curvature of the'concave reflecting surface 9, astigmatic defects may be eliminated.

It is obvious that by looking past the lower edge of the first reflector l in a direction parallel to the axis of lens 2, this enlarged picture may be viewed by an observer.

In Fig. 2 the means for permitting inspection of the finder picture at eye level are formed by two concave reflectors II and i I. The projection of the finder picture may be traced by the heavier line I2, Fig. 2, but while in Fig. 1. the plane reflector l reected the rays parallel to each other, in Fig. 2, the curvature of reflector Il causes the rays to be deflected angularly onto the companion concave reector H which directs the rays of light into the magnifying lens il located below the margin of the nrst reflector I0 and in a suitable position for close approach to the eye of the observer. In this manner the picture will be presented to the eye additionally enlarged by the lens I3, when the finder is used as an eye level finden i That portion of the picture which is located at or labout the lpoint a of the screen 6. is reected from the reector l0 at or about the point c. That part of the picture of the screen 6 which is adjacent or at the point b will be reflected at or about the point d of the reflector I0. From these points of the reflector i0, the light is reflected to the points e and f respectively of the reflector Il. But since the distance from point a of the screen to point c of the reflector is smaller than the distance from point b of the screen to point d of the reflector, the magnifying eiect of the reector III with respect to the picture point a will be less (at or about the point c) than it will be at or about the point d with respect to the picture point b.

Now, in the second concave reflector Il that part e of the reflector which is utilized for refleeting the point a of the screen picture has a greater total distance from point a than the total distance oi' the picture point b from the reector point f. 'I'he enlarging conditions, therefore, on the two reflectors are inverted with respect to the end points a and b respectively of the picture, with the result that the over-all enlargement is uniform or approximately uniform with respect to these and all other points of the picture.

I claim: n

1. In a photographic view finder in which the image appears on a horizontal translucent screen, a mirror mounted above said translucent screen in such an angular position so as to reflect the image downwardly and forwardly, and a second mirror arranged in the path of the light rays reflected from said ilrst mirror for reecting the image substantially horizontally rearwardly past the lower edge of said first named mirror and above said translucent screen, said mirrors hav ing their lower edges disposed to the rear of their respective upper edges, with said upper edges being closer together to form an acute angle between said mirrors, the said second mirror having a concave reccting surface and its upper edge being 'positioned et etseogooe o substoutieiiy gites plone then time lower edge oi seid @est mowed mirro while its lower edge is not lower them the piene oi seid soreen. l

2. in e, photogmeiiio View @mier in which time image appears on e horizontal. trensiueent esteem, o ooneeve minor mounted in spsoeoi eeietioxi above setti trensiuoent screen in such en enemies position so es to reeot the imsige tloemweitiiy emi forwardly, ende second eonoeve mirror or@ ieiigeoi in the petit o the iight toys i'eiieoted trom seid mst mirror iers'ed horizontally reerwordiy past tite iowei erige ot seid fiest nemesi mirror, seid mirxoxs tiet/ing their iower edges disposed to the teer oi their respeotive upper edges with seid upper edges positioned closer together so es to tomi en ecute ongle between seid mirrors. the seid second minorv being positioned with its upper edge et e substentiaily higher piene than the lower edge of seid iixst named mii-sor with its lower edge ebow/ey the eree of the screen.

3. in e photographic View Ender in which the image appears on e, horizontal translucent sci'eeii, concave mirror mounted in spooetiy reletion above seid translucent screen in such en @meules position so es to reiect the image downweitiiy and forwardly, and o second concave mirror erreneecl in the path o the light reys setleoteci from seid first mirror to reeot the imeee en lerged horizontally rearwardly pest the tower' edge oi seid. fis-st nemed mit-tor, seid minors iii tiet/ing their lowes edges disposed to the rear ot their respective upper edges, with seid'upper edges positioned closet` together so es to form en ecute ongle between seid missers, the reflecting suiiooe o et leest one of salti minors being toiieoiiy curved, the seid seooiiti minor being positioned with its upper esige et e, substantially higher piene than the lowes edge of seid first. maimed mirror emi with its iowei1 edge directly .eoove the aree of the soreen.

(i. izo. e, finder ot tile oioss described, the combination o e horizontoiiy disposed translucent screen, two mirrors forcing eooii other end arrenged shove the screen, both keine inclined in the seme generei dieotion with respect to the screen with their iowei` edges disposed to the teer of their respective upper edges ood teilig inoiitoe with tespect to each other so tiiot their Lipper edges me closer together to tomi en soute ongle between sold mirrors, et leest one oi the mirrors being e conceive .mieren both mismos having their lower edges et different heights above vtime soxeeii and Within the etree of the screen, emi e magnifying lens interposed between the piene ot the screen end the lower edge oi the mirror disposed et e higher eievetion ebove tine screen, to permit observation of the picture reected by the other mittel thi'ouglo seid lens. 

